Car buying is an expensive proposition. Nobody wants to go wrong when closing a deal.

This is exactly why women buyers take the time to shop around, research online, and are twice as likely to read car dealer reviews before they make their final car buying decision.

To close a deal, it is imperative for a dealership to have a winning sales team that can help every single potential visitor smoothly transition into an actual buyer. This calls for a good understanding of each buyer as they have their own individual set of needs, wants and circumstances.

A different approach is required to surprise and delight women car buyers. Its foundation is based on “building trust,” which is earned through being respectful and friendly, refraining from aggressive selling and quoting the right price initially.

Let’s look at each of the key elements in the formula for happy women car buyers:

Trust: the deal maker

It costs organizations more than five times as much to get a new customer as it does to retain one, according to Insights Advantage, a marketing research company. This underscores the value of building strong relationships with customers and turning them into repeat buyers.

Trust-based relationships are achieved through mutual understanding and connecting with the customer at an emotional level by understanding their car-buying sentiments. Dealership sales staffers who get each women buyer’s needs, concerns, fears and expectations and listen to help them find the best car match not only close successful car deals but also enjoy customer loyalty.

Be respectful

The process of trust building begins as soon as women visitors walk into a dealership. How the sales professional treats shoppers matters greatly, as it has a huge impact on their buying decisions. Dealerships that consistently train their sales team to greet women buyers respectfully and pleasantly have higher chances of closing sales. It helps put women at ease and feel welcome.

Be friendly and polite

Women find friendly sales people easy to talk to. Naturally they are more comfortable around sales advisers that are likeable over those who are not. It is also best not to use terms of affection like “little lady” or “hon” or “babe.” It would be wise to keep the transaction on a professional basis, without touching or hugging the client. Really, this often happens, and women are confounded by it.

Say no to aggressive selling

It is hard to earn trust of a buyer if they are feeling pressured. It’s important for salespeople to come across as resources and trusted advisers who buyers can turn to for support, rather than of coming on too strong, selling aggressively and strong-arming buyers with the salesperson’s preferences.

Quote the right price

By understanding car needs and the budget of each buyer and helping that buyer find the car that suits herneeds, dealerships can earn the trust of women and win long-term clients. Women appreciate dealers who don’t push them into buying cars that exceed their budget. They give preference to dealerships that are upfront about the pricing and savings estimates, offer a value deal and provide a flexible payment plan. When they feel that they have bought the best car at the right price, they inherently put their trust in the dealership.

For dealerships to gain a competitive edge and rise as the first choice among women, it is important to meet or exceed women buyer’s expectations.

* Santander Consumer USA does not endorse Anne Fleming or the content of Women-Drivers.com in any way. This blog’s opinions are not Santander Consumer USA’s opinions and Santander Consumer USA shall not be responsible for its accuracy, completeness or integrity.